The Parrots
Share new track ‘Maldito’, featuring multi-million selling Spanish rap superstar, C. Tangana.
While music fans may be counting down the minutes until the primitive transcendence of their boundless (and joyously sweaty) live sets transfix clubs yet again, Madrid duo The Parrots have hardly been idling. In fact, they are poised for a triumphant return with a brilliant new track and playfully-cinematic video. Maldito proves an evolutionary step for the band that finds them sounding stronger and more realized than ever and also forging a compelling collaboration with internationally renowned Spanish urbano phenomenon C. Tangana (allegedly, the biggest act to come out from Spain since Rosalia).
With its stomping, bass-driven groove, Maldito bridges their characteristic stripped-down melodic garage rock with a fresh sonic perspective. Produced by Tom Furse (The Horrors) and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (Parquet Courts, Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, Temples), the Parrots find themselves experimenting with more modern production soundscapes and autotuned hooks, all the while offering up bittersweet lyrics about the internal nuance of letting someone go.
“There is a burden carried with every decision taken, not everything is as golden as it may look and therefore growing and changing implies pain and a feeling of emptiness that feels irreplaceable.” The band say of the track. “For this song our inspiration came from things that were the closest to us, and that’s maybe the reason we were incapable to see them. The stop in the touring life and the time we’ve had to write has made us realize the distance we had created between our home and our people. Realizing this has made us feel closer than ever to our childhood references and to seek new ways to compose songs.”
Working with someone as musically different than themselves as C. Tangana may seem unexpected, but the partnership yielded nothing less than inspired results in the punchy, resonant Maldito. “For a long time, we had the idea of writing a song with C. Tangana. We played him some demos and he loved them, so we spent some days in the studio to record the song.”
The video for Maldito was made by Rogelio for the visionary production company CANADA, which as been at the helm of visuals for acts like Rosalia, Tame Impala, and Dua Lipa, among many others. In it, we see a lonely old man being courted by a preacher (God), a demon (the Devil), and a homeless person (Death) as he makes his way through the streets of Madrid. “We think the video for Maldit is more akin to a movie than to a music video,” The Parrots say. “Filming it was an amazing experience and made us discover a love for acting.” The result is a visually-arresting, allegorical journey that effectively emanates the themes of the song all the while effortlessly interjecting a sly sense of humour.
Formed by Diego García (vocals, guitars) and Alex de Lucas (vocals, bass), The Parrots burst into the music world in 2014 with a handful of independently released singles. Along with Hinds and Los Nastys, the Madrid trio-turned-duo helped reinvigorate visceral, undiluted guitar music in recent years, bringing back fun and a mischievous sensibility to rock n’ roll. The Parrots have toured around the world, utterly entrancing live audiences with their blazing punk ferocity. They have also found a home in revered London label Heavenly Recordings who put out their debut full-length album Los Niños Sin Miedo in 2016 to widespread positive acclaim. Ever since they continue to push the boundaries of rock.
Maldito is the first song off their forthcoming second LP, details of which are forthcoming. For this new phase, The Parrots have gained a bolstered sense of confidence in their creative processes and take pride in surrounding themselves with people who inspire them. “[It] makes us feel very proud of ourselves. If anyone had told us that we could ever make our dream album exactly the way we wanted, we wouldn’t have believed it. It reflects all of our inner feelings and our influences, and we made it by keeping our circles of collaborators small with people we love and trust. This is what works for us.”
Maldito flourishes in its abundance: catchy instrumentations, pointed, introspective subject matter and an assured vocal delivery that’s masterfully carried out by The Parrots and C.Tangana. If it’s an indication of what’s to come, then fans can eagerly await some of the best music of their career.
